McCartney’s Long-Lost Bass, Missing for Over 50 Years, Has Been Found

[Turner Coates]

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/musi ... 234969159/

Paul McCartney’s long-lost Höfner bass guitar — dubbed “the most important bass in history” for its role in the creation and recordings of dozens of the Beatles classics — has been found over 50 years after it first went missing.

The Lost Bass Project, a grassroots campaign that hoped to discover what happened to the instrument, announced Wednesday that the 1961 Höfner 500/1 bass guitar had been rediscovered, and McCartney himself confirmed in a statement that he was back in possession of the bass.

“Following the launch of last year’s Lost Bass project, Paul’s 1961 Höfner 500/1 bass guitar, which was stolen in 1972, has been returned,” McCartney’s official site announced. “The guitar has been authenticated by Höfner and Paul is incredibly grateful to all those involved.”

The Lost Bass Project was launched in 2018 but only came to prominence in 2023 when worldwide coverage reinvigorated the search. Initial tips revealed that the bass hadn’t simply gone missing: It was stolen from the back of a van on October 10, 1972, in the Notting Hill area of London.

[skatexedge]

Pretty fucking amazing after 50 years!

I’m just imagining how much that bass is worth!! Glad Paul got it back so he can make more music with it after some needed repairs.

[maninblack]

I wonder if it was too hot to resell.

[BernieTaupson]

That was it exactly. This tells the story in detail.

https://www.debassist.nl/muzieknieuws/a ... er-is-back

[Sleek]

Paul McCartney’s long-lost Höfner bass guitar — dubbed “the most important bass in history” for its role in the creation and recordings of dozens of the Beatles classics

Feh. "Most important bass", my ass. James Jamerson's 1962 Sunburst P is still out there somewhere.

[AlexVonHaig]

Not sure any beatles (or derivative beatles) sounds were that much attributed to any musical instrument. If anything molded their sound, it was George Martin. That said, it would be a top 10 bass because of who owned it far more than for the sounds it made

[Sleek]

THE McCARTNEY CURSE:

The landlord gave the bass to his son, who already played guitar. The son used it a bit, but he and a friend got killed in a car rally accident at university. Very sad. We don’t know exactly what happened next, but his younger brother got the bass, so it ended up with the second son of the landlord. He kept the bass for many years in an attic. This second son died during Covid – also very sad

[Sleek]

Not sure any beatles (or derivative beatles) sounds were that much attributed to any musical instrument. If anything molded their sound, it was George Martin. That said, it would be a top 10 bass because of who owned it far more than for the sounds it made

YOU SPELLED GEOFF EMERICK WRONG.

Paul's bass was as much the sound of those Altec and Fairchild compressors he used as anything else. If you heard Paul's sound in the room, it would have been pretty different than what hit the tape.

[Turner Coates]

Feh. "Most important bass", my ass. James Jamerson's 1962 Sunburst P is still out there somewhere.

Wow. I didn't know about that. I can only guess that it was played to DEATH. I just can't see a vintage P bass sitting around and NOT being played to death.
In any case, I'm off to surf the interwaves to find out about it.

[Sleek]

I have a (heavily modified) '63 P. A friend gave it to me. It was this dusty old thing sitting around an auto shop for as long as anyone could remember, and the shop closed.

It was so covered in filth that you could not play it...it had also been repainted with something that looked like black paint mixed with elmer's glue and glitter, just awful and about 1/8th inch thick.

I was really surprised once I cleaned it up and cracked the neck off to see the 1963 stamps on the neck heel.

It sat unplayed for about 20 years in that shop, and now sits around unplayed, because it isn't as comfortable as my '80's Jap P-bass or my main bass, a sixties Hagstrom. I've had it about 15 years.

[Turner Coates]

It sat unplayed for about 20 years in that shop, and now sits around unplayed, because it isn't as comfortable as my '80's Jap P-bass or my main bass, a sixties Hagstrom. I've had it about 15 years.

I used to play a friend's early 60s Hagstrom bass. I loved it. The neck was thinner than some guitar necks.

[Lobo]

Paul McCartney’s long-lost Höfner bass guitar — dubbed “the most important bass in history” for its role in the creation and recordings of dozens of the Beatles classics

Feh. "Most important bass", my ass. James Jamerson's 1962 Sunburst P is still out there somewhere.

If you think some Motown session players bass would be worth more than a Paul McCartney bass that was used during The Beatles heydey, you're completely out of your mind.

One of McCartney's Yamaha bass guitars that was used during the Wings era (in studio and on the road) sold for $496,100 US in 2021, just under half a million dollars.

Jamerson's Fender sold for $68,750 US in 2017.

I had to look up Jamerson to see who the hell he was.

I'm not saying his contribution to the music world was insignificant, but as a session musician it's not anywhere near as important as let's say...A Beatle!

[BernieTaupson]

Yeah that Wings bass broke the record. And it’s just a Wings bass not a Beatles bass.

https://www.nme.com/en_au/news/music/pa ... on-3118898

If either of those two Hofners are sold after he karks it they would be ten million bucks minimum. They would have to be. It’s the sort of thing a billionaire buys for shits and giggles.

[Sleek]

Paul McCartney’s long-lost Höfner bass guitar — dubbed “the most important bass in history” for its role in the creation and recordings of dozens of the Beatles classics

Feh. "Most important bass", my ass. James Jamerson's 1962 Sunburst P is still out there somewhere.

If you think some Motown session players bass would be worth more than a Paul McCartney bass that was used during The Beatles heydey, you're completely out of your mind.

One of McCartney's Yamaha bass guitars that was used during the Wings era (in studio and on the road) sold for $496,100 US in 2021, just under half a million dollars.

Jamerson's Fender sold for $68,750 US in 2017.

I had to look up Jamerson to see who the hell he was.

I'm not saying his contribution to the music world was insignificant, but as a session musician it's not anywhere near as important as let's say...A Beatle!

Jamerson is hands-down the most influential electric bass player in History.

From a Beatle:

Paul McCartney's inventive bass playing has influenced countless artists, but he has musical heroes of his own, and he revealed one of them during the latest round of the ongoing Q&A session he's having with fans at his website.

Asked "Who was the biggest influence upon your bass playing?," McCartney responded, "The biggest influence on my bass playing was James Jamerson, who played on many of my favourite Motown releases."

That being said, because of the way fame works, yeah, a Beatle Bass is going to SELL for more...but it would not be as IMPORTANT as Jamerson's P, literally the most influential electric bass ever.

Think about how many people you see using Hofner basses.

[GreatWhiteSnake]

It's all about the bass. Hooray...

[Gibsonite]

Hopefully he learned his lesson and won't leave it in the band van like that again!

[Lobo]

Feh. "Most important bass", my ass. James Jamerson's 1962 Sunburst P is still out there somewhere.

If you think some Motown session players bass would be worth more than a Paul McCartney bass that was used during The Beatles heydey, you're completely out of your mind.

One of McCartney's Yamaha bass guitars that was used during the Wings era (in studio and on the road) sold for $496,100 US in 2021, just under half a million dollars.

Jamerson's Fender sold for $68,750 US in 2017.

I had to look up Jamerson to see who the hell he was.

I'm not saying his contribution to the music world was insignificant, but as a session musician it's not anywhere near as important as let's say...A Beatle!

Jamerson is hands-down the most influential electric bass player in History.

From a Beatle:

Paul McCartney's inventive bass playing has influenced countless artists, but he has musical heroes of his own, and he revealed one of them during the latest round of the ongoing Q&A session he's having with fans at his website.

Asked "Who was the biggest influence upon your bass playing?," McCartney responded, "The biggest influence on my bass playing was James Jamerson, who played on many of my favourite Motown releases."

That being said, because of the way fame works, yeah, a Beatle Bass is going to SELL for more...but it would not be as IMPORTANT as Jamerson's P, literally the most influential electric bass ever.

Think about how many people you see using Hofner basses.

Bull-Fucking-Shit. McCartney's Beatle played bass is more important than any Jamerson played bass ever...period!!!

Yeah, McCartny could say Jamerson was a huge influence on him. But it still doesn't put Jamerson on the same level of Paul McCartney.

He was a session player, they played what they were told to play. They wrote nothing.

Fenders were played by pretty much EVERYBODY. Nobody other than McCartney played a Hofner but EVERYBODY knows the Hofner for one simple reason, McCartney played it.

Somebody once said, "beating Muhammad Ali in a boxing match doesn't make you Muhammad Ali".

The Beatles are in a category all their own and for good reason. Even if you're more talented of a player, still doesn't make you a Beatle.

[FreddyFender]

Bull-Fucking-Shit. McCartney's Beatle played bass is more important than any Jamerson played bass ever...period!!!

Yeah, McCartny could say Jamerson was a huge influence on him. But it still doesn't put Jamerson on the same level of Paul McCartney.

Jamerson created the way the bass guitar is used in popular music today.

The Fender P-Bass with flatwound strings is the most recorded bass in history. That is entirely due to Jamerson's use of the P with flats that Sleek mentioned.

He's the most influential bass player of all time. It's laughable to even have a debate about it.